Traditionally, chicken, or other poultry, have been fed by the farmer using a feed cart supported on an overhead rail to transport feed through the chicken house. The cart is manually rolled along the rail to feed stations throughout the house while feed is shoveled from the cart into floor level, flat feed trays for young chicks and into bowls for older poultry.
With the advent of automated chicken houses, the feed has been conveyed from a central hopper outside the house to feed receptacles distributed throughout the house. Very young chicks (within the first two week period in the house) cannot be fed by the automated feeder, however, because they are not tall enough to reach into the feed bowls to obtain the feed. Thus, even in automated houses, feeding of the very young chicks is still done manually.
The temperature in the poultry house is high (approximately 80.degree. to 90.degree. F.) during the initial two week period, and the feed cart, weighing over 1,200 pounds, is difficult to move on the overhead rail. It is thus apparent that the process of feeding chicks within the initial two week period in the house is physically very strenuous. This presents a particular problem for the aged who often raise poultry to provide a retirement income or for the infirm.
There is, therefore, a need for an apparatus to assist in the feeding of chicks in the initial two week period usable by individuals who ordinarily could not enter or continue to raise poultry due to physical limitations.
Accordingly, a broad object of the invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for distribution of feed to poultry or livestock.
Another object is to provide an apparatus for feeding poultry which does not require any strenuous physical activity on the part of the poultry farmer.
Another object is to provide an apparatus for distributing feed from a central storage location to ground level feeding trays that are accessible by chicks within the first two week period in the chicken house.
Another object is to provide an apparatus for feeding young poultry, wherein a feed hopper suspended from an overhead rail is moved by an electric motor through a chicken house and the contents of the hopper are distributed through a hand controlled, motor driven auger hose to floor level feed trays.
Another object is to provide an apparatus for feeding young poultry, comprising an overhead, rail supported, electric motor driven hopper and an electric motor operated auger hose for delivering the contents of the hopper to floor level feed trays, wherein movement of the hopper on the rail as well as operation of the feed auger is manually controlled by electric switches at the auger hose outlet.
Another object is to provide a new and improved apparatus for feeding young poultry that is economical to manufacture and install in both automated and nonautomated chicken houses.